Sentinel
by webofdreams89
Summary: Because you never stop being a big brother. And you sure as hell never stop being a dad.


**Author's Notes: I'd been meaning to write this little story for days now, ever since it popped into my head the other night while I was at work. This is the result. Take it for what it is.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own a Winchester. Or Supernatural. At least not in real life.**

**Summary: Because you never stop being a big brother. And you sure as hell never stop being a dad.**

o.O.o

**Sentinel**

o.O.o

Dean turned the rental car down a short little street, stopping briefly at the stop sign before turning again, this time left. He reached the place he was looking for, parked his car across the street, and waited.

He pulled a pair of scarcely used shades from his jacket pocket and slipped them on, wincing slightly as he accidently poked himself in the eye with them. Rubbing his eye furiously for a moment before slipping the glasses the rest of the way up his face, Dean glanced at his watch.

2:34.

He knew that he'd be coming soon; he always did, every punctual, ever predictable. He liked his schedules.

After a few minutes, he felt the cell phone in his pocket vibrate incessantly, fumbling as he pulled the phone out of his pocket. Snatching the phone from where it had landed near his feet, the caller id informed Dean that his father was calling.

"Yes sir?" he asked, wincing because he could just _hear_ how guilty his voice sounded.

"How're things going there in Tulsa?" John Winchester asked without preamble. "That chupacabra taken care of yet?"

"Not quite, sir," Dean replied, the knuckles of his free hand turning white as they gripped the wheel before him. "But it really shouldn't be too much longer."

Dean really hated lying to his dad; it left a sour feeling in his stomach that wasn't easily curable.

"Good," John replied. He sounded distracted, as if he was busy jotting things down in his journal as he performed the routine and mandatory check-in with his son. "Once you're done in Tulsa, maybe you can take care of a what appears to be a little bit of a witch infestation in a little town called Clyde, Ohio."

"_Ohio?" _Dean asked, his voice startled. Usually John would give him a job two, maybe three states over. Nothing like this cross-country crap he was talking now. "Do you know how far Ohio is from…Tulsa?"

For the first time in what felt like ages, Dean heard his dad laugh, genuninely _laugh._ "Yes, Dean, I do know how far Ohio is from Tulsa. But the drive will give you plenty of time to heal up from whatever damage that chupacabra gives you, right?"

"You're right," Dean conceded with a sigh. His eyes landed on what he'd been waiting for. "Uh, Dad?"

"Yeah Dean?"

"I'm going to have to let you go now. 'Cabra problem."

"Alright," John replied. "Keep me posted." And, with that, he hung up.

Dean watched his brother approach the dormitory he stayed at, a hefty looking backpack slung over his shoulders.

It has been more than two years since Sam had left hunting, left _them_, for school, and Dean missed him. This wasn't the first time that Dean had fabricated a hunt just for the sole purpose of catching a glimpse of his brother.

And Sam looked good; college life was treating him well. He had grown taller, definitely taller than his older brother by now, but John had predicted that all along with the way Sam had eaten the last few years they were together, hadn't he?

He watched his brother readjust his bag as he approached the door to his dorm, withdrawing a set of keys and opening the front door. With that, Sam slipped inside and out of sight. At least until the very next time Dean could get away.

Dean briefly brought his hands to his face, sighing in the relief that his little brother was _really_ alright. After just a moments hesitation in which Dean glanced briefly back at the door, wishing his brother would come back out, would see him, wouldn't see him.

Throwing one last look at the door to Sam's dormitory, Dean started the rental car once again, pulled onto the street, and drove off.

o.O.o

He watched from where he parked in his own rental car that he had gotten specifically for this purpose, watched Dean pull out of his parking space and drive off.

And he smiled.

He couldn't really blame Dean; the same thing had been drawing himself back to this place every couple of months or so since Sam had left.

And he would wait, wait until around 4:20 when Sam would leave his dorm to meet that pretty blond girlfriend of his.

Both of his sons were incredibly predictable, if you knew them that is, but, chuckling to himself, John figured that he was just a bit predictable too. If you knew what to look for, like the fake vampire nest he'd conjured for this very purpose.

_End._

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**A/N: Be kind and let me know what you thought by leaving a review!!**

**webofdreams89**

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